Menorah
Hillel at UTSA hosts Dec. 1 holiday celebration
(Nov. 30, 2004)--Hillel at UTSA, the Jewish student-faculty organization, presents a holiday celebration, "Light your Mind and Spirits in the Academy," from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 1 in the Business Building University Room (2.06.04) at the 1604 Campus. The event is free and open to all.
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RSS FeedsThe festivities include a faculty panel discussion on experiencing the "light-bulb" phenomenon, a musical medley, traditional foods, menorahs, dreidels, door prizes and a faculty, staff and student social gathering. Family members and children are welcome.
"The distinguished faculty panel will discuss imaginative thinking, the 'ah-ha' experience and insights they have gained while teaching and writing," said Rosalind Horowitz, Hillel director and UTSA professor of discourse and literacy studies. "Chanukah is a time of miracles, light and surprising sparks of creativity and innovation. We encourage everyone to participate in this evening of celebration of creative energy and camaraderie."
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Chanukah traditions
Chanukah (or Hanukkah) is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (November-December on the Gregorian calendar). In Hebrew, "Hanukkah" means "dedication." On each night of Chanukah, the menorah is lit to commemorate a miracle, which occurred after the Jews proclaimed victory over the Syrian armies in 165 B.C.E. When Jews (the Maccabbees) came to rededicate the temple, which had been defiled by the Syrians, they found only one small flask of oil with which to light the menorah, candelabra used for worship. The flask contained enough oil for one day, yet the lamp burned for eight days, which allowed time to find a new supply of oil. Today, Jews celebrate Chanukah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night to commemorate the eight-day miracle.
Dreidel: The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter inscribed on each side. In America, the letters stand for "a miracle happened there." In Israel, the letters mean "a miracle happened here." Each player receives a given number of coins or candy pieces. Before spinning the dreidel, each player puts a fixed proportion of the amount received into the "kupah" or kitty. Each player in turn spins the dreidel. When the dreidel falls, it will fall on one of the 4 letters. According to the letter, the following will happen: no win/no lose, take all from the kitty, take half from the kitty or lose what you deposited.
Latkes: The most popular theme in Chanukah dishes is the use of oil, a reminder of the oil at the temple that burned eight days instead of one. Latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, onions and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. The texture is crispy on the outside and tender within. They are served hot and often dipped in applesauce or sour cream. The Maccabbee soldiers ate latkes made from cheese, vegetables or fruits which were brought to them on the battlefields. However, they didn't eat potato latkes, since potatoes weren't available until the 16th century.
Source: HistoryChannel.com